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Pathways to Pre-K: Understanding Access to DC's 3-Year-Old Public Prekindergarten Program through Mapping Families' Application and Enrollment Patterns

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Title: Pathways to Pre-K: Understanding Access to DC's 3-Year-Old Public Prekindergarten Program through Mapping Families' Application and Enrollment Patterns
Language: English
Authors: Justin B. Doromal, Erica Greenberg, Breno Braga, Rachel Lamb, Leonardo Restrepo, Urban Institute
Source: Urban Institute. 2025.
Availability: Urban Institute. 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. Tel: 202-261-5687; Fax: 202-467-5775; Web site: http://www.urban.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Heising-Simons Foundation
Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Contract Number: R305A210506
Intended Audience: Policymakers
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Preschool Education
Descriptors: Preschool Education, Access to Education, Enrollment, Public Education, Family Role, Family Needs, Admission (School), Competitive Selection
Geographic Terms: District of Columbia
Abstract: The District of Columbia boasts the greatest access to public prekindergarten for 3- and 4-year-old children in the United States, offering a full-day, school-year universal preschool program. High participation rates indicate that public investments in prekindergarten are supporting working families and helping DC's children thrive. However, enrollment is only one of several different steps families must take to secure a seat. This brief maps out families' experiences across these steps--the application and enrollment steps, specifically--to illustrate how families come to enroll, or not enroll, in public prekindergarten. Learning about families' entry points to public prekindergarten and the pathways they take to enrollment can help policymakers identify opportunities to increase access and tailor supports to families. The authors analyzed 2022-23 My School DC administrative lottery data and Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) enrollment data and compared findings with those from other school years, as well as how they vary geographically across DC's eight wards. Key findings show the large majority of families who enroll in a DC Pre-K3 program do so by completing an application to the My School DC lottery and enrolling at a matched school, and a significant number of children enroll in a school for Pre-K3 by completing a post-lottery application.
Abstractor: ERIC
IES Funded: Yes
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED673542
Database: ERIC
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  Data: The District of Columbia boasts the greatest access to public prekindergarten for 3- and 4-year-old children in the United States, offering a full-day, school-year universal preschool program. High participation rates indicate that public investments in prekindergarten are supporting working families and helping DC's children thrive. However, enrollment is only one of several different steps families must take to secure a seat. This brief maps out families' experiences across these steps--the application and enrollment steps, specifically--to illustrate how families come to enroll, or not enroll, in public prekindergarten. Learning about families' entry points to public prekindergarten and the pathways they take to enrollment can help policymakers identify opportunities to increase access and tailor supports to families. The authors analyzed 2022-23 My School DC administrative lottery data and Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) enrollment data and compared findings with those from other school years, as well as how they vary geographically across DC's eight wards. Key findings show the large majority of families who enroll in a DC Pre-K3 program do so by completing an application to the My School DC lottery and enrolling at a matched school, and a significant number of children enroll in a school for Pre-K3 by completing a post-lottery application.
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      – SubjectFull: Preschool Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Access to Education
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      – SubjectFull: Enrollment
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      – SubjectFull: Competitive Selection
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      – SubjectFull: District of Columbia
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      – TitleFull: Pathways to Pre-K: Understanding Access to DC's 3-Year-Old Public Prekindergarten Program through Mapping Families' Application and Enrollment Patterns
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